Piano assembly



Nov. 4, 1969 1.. H. OLLMAN 3,475,005

PIANO ASSEMBLY Filed Nov. 27, 1967 IN VEN TOR. ma/ewes A. 624M441 United States Patent Office 3,476,005 Patented Nov. 4, 1969 3,476,005 PIANO ASSEMBLY Lawrence H. Ollman, 412 Curtis NE, Grand Rapids, Mich. 49505 Filed Nov. 27, 1967, Ser. No. 685,829 Int. 'Cl. Gc 3/00, 1/00 US. Cl. 84-236 4 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION This invention relates to pianos, and more particularly to the hammer and damper apparatus of pianos employing criss-crossing diagonal string arrangements.

Certain styles of pianos, such as low line spinet style pianos, necessitate positioning of the strings in a compact diagonal arrangement, with the treble strings and the base strings crossing each other in X pattern. These crisscrossed strings form what is known as a break or open space therebetween. The piano hammers extend in a horizontal row across the strings, each hammer cocked at an angle to be aligned with the respective string. There is a space between the hammers at the break.

Until the present invention, such pianos have had a certain tonal defect in one or two of the most frequently played notes that fall near middle C. Specifically, usually one or more of such notes are characterized by objectionable ringing and overtones rather than just a clear note. This occurs in the treble strings immediately adjacent the break. It has ben found that this is due to ineffective damping of the vibrating strings. This ineffective damping is due to the necessity of normally using a damper that is shortened in length, to fit bet-ween the correlative hammer for those strings and the immediately adjacent, diagonally crossing base strings.

The inventor herein, an inspector and tuner of pianos of a well known quality piano manufacturer, conceived of a unique remedy for this long-standing defect. This solution, which is very simple in retrospect, once it is understood, requires only a relatively inexpensive change in conventional piano construction for its realization. This change has been incorporated in the pianos of the employer of the inventor herein and has solved the ringing and overtone problem that has existed for so many years.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION It is an object of this invention to provide a modified piano assembly for the piano type employing criss-cross diagonal strings, that eliminates the usual objectionable ringing and overtones of one or more notes near middle C. The novel construction enables effective damping of the treble note strings immediately adjacent the break. A substantially full length damper can be used even on these strings, due to adequate clearance between the appropriate hammer and the adjacent base strings. This is achieved by a special relation of at least the hammer for the last treble note, and the other hammers in the hammer row. This hammer is elevated substantially to enable the substantially full length damper to be employed. The adjacent hammers are elevated successively less amounts to blend smoothly with the remainder of the hammers in the row.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. 1 is a front elevational fragmentary view of the hammers, dampers, and strings of the novel piano assembly portion adjacent the break;

FIG. 2 is a front elevational fragmentary view of the hammer, damper, and string members of the prior art type; and

FIG. 3 is an end elevational view of the novel assembly in FIG. 1 taken on plane III-III.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT As is well known, the 88 keys of a piano keyboard are operably connected with 88 hammers which strike the string. Each hammer strikes two or three varying length and diameter wires or strings to cause the necessary musical note. Also associated with each group of strings for each note is a vibration damper. Ordinarily,

in a spinet style piano or a similar compact construction, 1

the treble note wires are diagonally oriented from the lower left-hand portion of the piano to the upper righthand portion, While the base note strings are diagonally oriented from the lower right to the upper left, in crisscross fashion as illustrated in FIGS. 1 and 2. The open zone where these wires cross in an X fashion is known as the break. The first two notes of the treble section (adjacent the break) ordinarily have two Wires as noted, while the remaining ones have triple wires. The base strings ordinarily are twin strings as shown. In the drawings, only the structure adjacent the break is shown since the remaining structure is conventional.

Each of the hammers 12 is of the piano assembly 10 is mounted on a hammer shaft 14 to pivot about a lower pivot axis for striking'the strings, e.g. strings 16 and returning to the rest position against the felt 18 of a horizontal hammer rail or bar 20. As is known, when a piano key is depressed, the respective hammer swiftly swings from its position adjacent the felt of the hammer bar into striking engagement with the strings (see arrow FIG. 3), and then immediately returns to its rest position. While the hammer moves toward the strings, the respective damper 22 moves away from the strings. As soon as the hammer returns, its respective damper pivots on its support shaft 30 back into engagement with the strings. Preferably the damper has wedging portions projecting between the strings so that the apex of the wedge projects beyond the engaged strings (FIG. 3) while the sides of the wedge engage the strings.

As explained in the introduction above, in a conventional construction objectionable overtones and ringing occur when notes are played on the last one or two treble string groups immediately adjacent the break. This has been deter-mined to be due to ineffective dampening that occurs because the last one (or two) damper 22a is too short (FIG. 2). In the usual construction, only a short damper can be used on the wires of the last treble note, and sometimes on the wires of the next to last treble note, because there is insufficient space between the lower edge of the respective hammer above the damper and the crossing base strings immediately beneath the damper.

In the novel construction, the row of hammers is specially modified. At least the last hammer 12 is elevated substantially in the diagonal direction along the respective strings by lengthening its shaft 14' and shifting its shaft laterally to the right. The adjacent hammers 12." are also elevated successively lessening amounts to create a smooth transition diagonally from the elevated end hammer to the in-line horizontal row of hammers (FIG.

2). This enables uniform spacing between the hammer shafts rather than any interference between the endmost elevated hammer and the immediately adjacent hammers. The resulting construction therefore has the last 3, 4, 5, 6, or so hammers arranged on a diagonal plane 24 intersecting with the horizontal plane 26 of the other hammers in the row. Likewise, the treble string dampers are arranged with the last 3, 4, 5, 6, or so on a diagonal plane 32 intersecting with the horizontal plane 34 of the remaining ones. (For convenience, the dampers for the base strings are not illustrated. These would also be in line in plane 34.

2 full length damper 22 is inserted between the lower edge of the last treble wire hammer 12' and the first base wire or string 40. This damper will normally be a V style damper. It has a longer shaft 30" also, and its adjacent dampers 2 also have longer shafts 30. Employment of this modified construction has proven its efiectiveness in removing the objectionable overtone and ringing characteristics of the units. In fact, because of this significant improvement in quality, the employer of the inventor herein, a manufacturer of high quality piano instruments, has adopted this modified construction on its compact piano assemblies that utilize crossing diagonal strings of the type shown.

I claim:

1. A piano assembly having a plurality of base strings and a plurality of treble strings, said base strings being arranged diagonally across said treble strings in crisscross fashion to form a break, a first plurality of shiftable string striking hammers on one side of said break and aligned with respective ones of said treble strings, and a second plurality of shiftable string striking hammers on the other side of said break aligned with respective ones of said base strings, a plurality of shiftable, string engaging dampers beneath said hammers, the improvement comprising said first plurality of hammers being arranged in an aligned horizontal row, but at least the last hammer in said row adjacent said break being elevated substantially above said aligned row to enable an effective length damper to be positioned therebetween; and a full length damper positioned between said last hammer and said diagonal base strings.

2. The assembly in claim 1 wherein the treble string hammers adjacent said last hammer are elevated successively decreasing amounts to form a smooth transition between said last hammer and said hammers in said horizontal row.

3. The assembly in claim 2 wherein said last hammer and said adjacent hammers are generally aligned in a diagonal plane that intersects the horizontal plane of said horizontal row of hammers.

4. A piano assembly having a plurality of base strings and a plurality of treble strings, said base strings being arranged diagonally across said treble strings in crisscross fashion to form a break, a first plurality of shiftable string striking hammers on one side of said break and aligned with respective ones of said treble strings, and a second plurality of shiftable string striking hammers on the other side of said break aligned with respective ones of said base strings, a plurality of shiftable, string engaging dampers beneath said hammers, the improvement comprising said first plurality of hammers being arranged in an aligned horizontal row, but at least the last hammer in said row adjacent said break being elevated substantially above said aligned row to enable an effective length damper to be positioned therebetween; and a full length damper positioned between said last hammer and said diagonal base strings; the treble string hammers adjacent said last hammer being elevated successively decreasing amounts to form a smooth transition between said last hammer and said hammers in said horizontal row; dampers correlative with said adjacent hammers being elevated successively decreasing amounts from said damper correlative with said last hammer to the dampers correlative to said hammers in said horizontal row.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 598,693 2/1898 Bowen 84-197 2,199,211 4/ 1940 Schimmel 84-240 2,247,998 7/ 1941 Healey 84-240 RICHARD B. WILKINSON, Primary Examiner LAWRENCE R. FRANKLIN, Assistant Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 84-254, 255 

